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Updated 1-16-25 - Notification of PowerSchool Data Breach

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Updated 1-16-25 - Notification of PowerSchool Data Breach

UPDATE REGARDING POWERSCHOOL DATA BREACH

PowerSchool has provided all schools impacted nationwide with the following update.  Please see the link below for the latest public statement from PowerSchool and an updated FAQ.

https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/

 

 

Dear Groton Public Schools (GPS) Community,

We are writing to inform you of a data breach that affected GPS as part of a larger incident involving PowerSchool, a Student Information System (SIS) used by schools nationwide. You should have received an email regarding this earlier in the week. The breach occurred between December 19 and 28, 2024, when a threat actor gained unauthorized access to data from districts across the country, including GPS, using stolen credentials. GPS became aware of the breach on January 7, 2025 and was notified by PowerSchool that GPS was affected on January 9, 2025.  

Here’s what we know so far:

Data Affected: The breach impacted two GPS data tables in the PowerSchool SIS, including records of both teachers and students. We are actively working with PowerSchool to determine exactly what data was impacted and will share additional information in a follow-up communication.  

Mitigation Steps: PowerSchool has confirmed that the breached data file has been deleted and is no longer accessible. They have also notified the FBI and hired a cybersecurity firm, CrowdStrike, to assist in addressing the breach. CrowdStrike has reported that at this time no data from the breach has been found on the dark web, and they continue to monitor this space. PowerSchool has indicated that they believe all the data that was downloaded has been destroyed at this time. While this breach has affected many districts across the country and the full scope of the breach is still being investigated.

While PowerSchool is responsible for this incident and its impact, our team acted swiftly once we were notified and is continuing to investigate. GPS understands the importance of your trust and is diligently committed to protecting our student and staff data.  PowerSchool has informed GPS that they will provide additional information, including contact information, that community members can use to dialogue directly with the company. We will share that information with you once it is available. 

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,
Groton Public Schools

01/10/25